Why taxing the rich won't fix the economy

Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

President Obama has been talking for months about taxing the rich and siding with Occupy protestors.  Last year Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan (R ) proposed a path to balance the federal budget in his recently  “Path to Prosperity”. Taxing the rich is nice populist rhetoric designed to get votes.  It sounds so good to make the evil rich cough up more of their ill gotten gains. 

The problem is there aren’t enough rich and they don’t have enough money to solve our current deficit problems (currently $14 Trillion).  According to the Internal Revenue Service and reported in the Wall Street Journal, the entire taxable income of everyone earning over $100,000 in 2008 was about $1.58 Trillion.  If these “evil” rich were to give 100% of their income it would not cover even one year of the deficits President Obama is running.

A study reported in Investors Business Daily shows why there is not enough money to solve our problems:

• $2.1 trillion in taxes was collected in 2008 from those making over $200,000.
• If the tax rate is raised back to that in the Clinton era of 39.6 percent from 35 percent and the capitol gains set back to 20 percent this would have gotten $50 billion in taxes.

This does not give us the income needed to fix the budget problems. We have to stop spending so much. We have an unfair system. Not because the rich don’t pay enough, but because many Americans pay nothing:

• Wage earners in the bottom half of income pay nothing.
• The top 1 percent of wage earners pay 40 percent of the taxes.

Much of the revenue from these top earners is due to capitol gains and bonuses. These rise and fall with the business cycle. When we are in a recession, this source of income drops dramticallly.

Taxing the rich has failed before. FDR  Under FDR tax rates on the highest income earners rose to 90%.   Those with money stopped taking the risk of investing if 90 percent was going to the government.

During his term unemployment never fell below 20 percent

The onset of World War II was able to pull the country out of the depression. Despite massive spending by Roosevelt unemployment increased. All of his spending took jobs from the private sector and transferred them to the public sector in the form of WPA jobs.

The policies of Roosevelt prolonged the depression by 7 years according to UCLA economists. Researchers Harold L Cole and Lee E Ohanian found that government can mess up a recovery with its policies They blame the National RIndustiral Recovery Act.  The Act raised wages and process resulting in higher unemployment. They estimate without the act the depression would have ended on its own in 1936 instead of 1943.

We have learned in Wisconsin the value of reducing spending. Walkers budget repair bill and budget w reduced the cost of government.  Local governments are providing service without raising taxes. Federal government needs to do the same. Because every dollar taken out of the private sector means jobs lost.

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

Let Summit Training Publications take care of your program design needs with our off the shelf training in a box or one of our presentation modules.

Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation

Is the U.S. next for a “Greek Tragedy”?

 Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

If you watched the news over the past couple of weeks you've seen the riots in Athens. Greeks have taken to the streets to protest the proposed austerity measures.  Three people were killed when a bank was fire bombed.  The Greek government must make cuts to their entitlement programs as a condition of the bailout they are going to get from the International Monetary fund.  The U.S. is about a 20% contributor to the IMF, so our money will be involved in this bailout.  The question is can the same problems happen here?  There are some interesting parallels to the problems in Greece and similarities to our own situation here in the United States. We may well be headed to our own "Greek Tragedy".

The Greeks are running a deficit of 14 percent of GDP. In the U.S. we are not far behind with a deficit of 10 percent of GDP and growing.  Trillion dollar deficits are projected through the decade.

George Washington said " No pecuniary consideration is more urgent than the regular redemption and discharge of public debt; on none can delay be more injurious, or an economy of time more valuable."

Thomas Jefferson had similar concerns about running a huge public debt. He said: " I, however, place economy among the first and most important of republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared."

How did the Greeks get into their current mess? They did it through large entitlements.  They have universal health care, short work weeks, high minimum wages, job security, early retirements (53 in Greece) and huge pension benefits.  People have fled the private sector to the secure and lucrative positions offered in the Government.

We  are already starting to see the strain here.  MPS announced this week they  must layoff almost 200 teachers due to budget problems. California and many other states would be bankrupt already if not for the Stimulus money. The next big bubble to burst in this country will be from unfunded pensions for government workers.  The pensions are underfunded by $450 billion nationwide for state employees according to a study by the American Enterprise Institute and reported in the Wall Street Journal.  Public employees contribute nothing to fund their own benefit packages. When the funds fall short, taxpayers will be asked to kick in more tax money. Money which takes away from the private sector and kills job growth.  Government is growing at an enormous rate.  The State of Wisconsin is not the biggest employer in our state.
 

The pay gap is huge. According to data complied by the Commerce Department, the average federal salary in 2008 was $119,982 compared with $59,909 for a private sector worker. The benefit package for the average federal worker was $40,785 compared to $9,981 for the private sector.  The government is growing faster than private industry. The demographics in both Greece and here in the U.S. make it impossible to support baby boomer workers as they retire. With zero population growth in both countries we do not have enough younger workers in the system paying taxes to support those retiring.  With longer life expectancy we have the making of an economic crisis.

Rush Limbaugh reported recently that unions in Chicago have already been protesting for a hike in taxes so they can continue to fund pension and other benefit programs. Labor unions protested at the State capitol for an increase in taxes to keep their benefits.  The rioters in Greece were protesting an increase in the retirement age from 53 to 55 and an end to a government subsides of their housing.  The protests in Greece were also organized by the unions.

Some politicians have begun to recognize the issue. Marco Rubio Republican candidate for Senator in Florida said recently: " The meltdown in Greece should be a wake up call for those who which to turn America into a high spending, high tax welfare state. The fact is the global boom masked what was in fact an unsustainable situation, not only in Greece but in countries like Italy and Spain. Not only are governments spending far more than they are collecting in taxes ( as we are in the U.S.), but wages have far outstripped worker productivity because of undisciplined governments and powerful unions. Entire countries have become profligate, unproductive, and uncompetitive. Unfortunately, the road ahead in these countries is going to be extremely difficult."

We need to take steps here before it is too late.  Our current level of spending will mean massive increases in taxes and fees. High taxes are ruinous to the private sector. The present economy is not generating jobs under our current tax structure.  The Greeks have also increased their  valued added tax (VAT) to 22%. Such a step has been talked about here. Our very freedoms are at stake.

Benjamen Franklin said: "Think what you do when you run into debt: you give to another the power over your liberty.   The current course of spending and taxes threatens our liberty and security. When investors lose confidence like they have in Greece, they will no longer buy bonds to fund your debt. We are following the same path and unless changes are made, are on course for our own "Greek Tragedy".
 

For more info: Contact Christine @ summittraining@yahoo.com

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

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Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation

Networking: Identifying who can help and how to connect with them

 Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

Tom Sather, Founder of Career Works spoke at the January meeting of Crossroads Network group. The following is a summary of his remarks:

Tom was a transplant to the Fox Valley in 2001. He thought doing a job search would be easy.  He had 12 years of experience and owned 3 companies.  He found out just how tough a job search can be. He found building relationships was the key to his successful job search.

Nearly everyone goes about a job search looking for a certain type of job or to work for a certain company.  Perhaps a different approach is in order.  What if you were looking for an organization that had problems you could solve?

People hire people. They hire people to solve problems. By building a relationship you might just be the person you want to hire.  So stop looking for a job. Become a problem solver.  Building requires relationships.

Networking requires building relationships with people you know, so they feel comfortable introducing you to people they know.   To understand networking, know these rules:

• We work for people not companies. Relationships’ matter.
• We are hired because we can solve problems. They are concerned about their problems, not our.
• People who hire are always on the lookout for talent they feel comfortable with. They want to hire people who will get along with others and fit in with the company culture.
• Your goal as a job seeker is to find a person who has problems you can solve.

There are several things that you may find helpful to know about networking:

• People are willing to say “yes” to a reasonable request.
• We honor people when we seek their advice.
• People prefer to be approached gradually.
• Always be prepared to give something before you get something.
• Our job is to find the person who has the problems we want to solve.

Informational interviews can be a great way to connect with people and build a network.  Think of the interview like a funnel.  Start with broad questions and funnel down to work unit or problem area questions:

• Broad-Industry questions
• Drilling down-company questions
• Specific-Work units or problem areas.

1. First ask general questions about industry trends.  People like to be approached gradually and talk about things they know.  They are helping you by sharing their knowledge. Have at least 5 great questions about general industry matters. Be prepared with follow up questions about interesting points they have made.
2. Next as you hone in, ask specific questions about their organization. Ask about their perspective and statements about their company. Have at least 5 questions prepared and be ready to go off script. Probe, they will be pleased and amazed you are interested and are listening.
3. Next get to specific problem areas. These are areas to probe more deeply. Listen as they talk about their specific areas. Problems will begin to emerge. Find out what problems are irritating or keep them up at night. This is pay dirt. If your skills and experience can solve these problems discuss that.

Your goal is to understand their top three problems.  Ask yourself “Does this person have the problems I want to solve or do I know someone that might be of help?”

Follow the 10/50 rule

• For every 60 minutes of conversation, talk 10 minutes while the other person talks for 50 minutes.  If you are talking you can’t be listening.  When you listen you learn their problems and how you might help.
• Your questions give them an insight into how you think and what it would be like to work with you.
• Talking all the time during an interview shows you will be a talker at work. You will take up lots of their time.

Building relationships during informal and informal relationships sets the ground work for the most important relationship, employer and employee. Build relationships through networking and informational interviews. They are the key to job search success.

Copyright 2012 Summit Training Publications

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

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Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation

Economy affecting your mental health?

 Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

There has been some good news as unemployment dropped to around 9 percent this week. We have a brand new governor in Wisconsin who has vowed to see 250,000 jobs created.

Still the economy is tough. Here in Wisconsin the unemployment rate is still near 8 percent.  Jobs do not seem to be easy to get. There are lots of dire predictions for 2011.

Is the bad economy taking a toll on your mental and emotional health? If so you are not alone.  The more stress you experience the more likely it is you will experience mental health issues. Being unemployed is one of the most stressful events you will ever have in your life. Being unemployed now is more difficult because few jobs are being added to the economy. Being unemployed and not knowing when you will find work is extremely stressful.

I recently read that a survey by the Mental Health America showed the unemployed were four times more likely to report  symptoms of severe mental illness.  When unemployed you may not have insurance and may have lost you old support network in the workplace. This can make it difficult to get the care needed if a problem occurs or to even recognize the warning signs.

But even if you are working you may also be at risk. If you hours were cut, benefits slashed, wages frozen or survived a layoff you may also experience some risk to your mental health. You may feel anxiety or guilt that you are still working. Maybe you have to work harder and more hours at the same or less pay to make up for laid off co-workers.

Studies show that the rate of depression in layoff survivors is as high as in those laid off.

If you are feeling stressed, keep up your network of friends and family. See you doctor or mental health professional if you are experiencing signs of depression. Be sure to manager your stress with exercise, eating well, hobbies, laughter and good rest.

Copyright 2012 Summit Training Publications

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

Let Summit Training Publications take care of your program design needs with our off the shelf training in a box or one of our presentation modules.

Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation

Who pays for extended unemployment benefits?

 Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

Congress and President Obama agreed to an extension of unemployment benefits for another 13 weeks. This is in addition to the 99 weeks already offered.  The question is who pays for these extended benefits.

Each state is responsible for paying for the extended benefits of its citizens.  It is business owners that are taxed by the State. This contributes to the already high taxes paid for by business owners in Wisconsin.  Wisconsin was borrowing for their unemployment fund early in this recession. About half the states have borrowed money from the federal government. This money must be paid back.  The states are getting this money back by charging business owners more for their unemployment insurance. 

Each employer pays 6.2 percent of the first $7000 of income for each employee plus a flat rate to the government to fund the system. Bills are doubling and tripling in some cases. Imagine seeing an increase from $1000 to $6500 dollars for a quarterly premium 

This extra expense is tough when many small organizations are struggling to survive. These same companies are also seeing dramatic increases in health care premiums.

This is another example of government making laws and putting programs into place that are destructive to business. The government is paying people not to work, then charges business. The business then has less money to hire workers. They may even let workers go as their costs go up due to the cost of government regulations.

The extended benefits may be necessary; the federal government should reduce spending in another area to pay for the extended benefits. This would be a better solution then passing on the expense to business organizations that are already struggling.

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

Let Summit Training Publications take care of your program design needs with our off the shelf training in a box or one of our presentation modules.

Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation

The Walker Recall, budgets and jobs

Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

In December of this year, Governor elect Scott Walker put out a press release on his web site. 

“The State of Wisconsin is facing a $150 million current fiscal year budget shortfall and $3.3 billion long term structural deficit.  According to a report by the non partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau published this July the deficit is $2.5 billion.  The State of Wisconsin has been on a dangerous course of out of control spending.

We have been living large and putting on the charge for far too long in Wisconsin and in the nation as a whole.

Here is what some of our greatest thinkers have said about debt:

-“To Preserve or independence we must not let our rulers load us with public debt.”-Thomas Jefferson

“Thrift comes too late when you find it at the bottom of your purse.”-Seneca

“He who does not economize will have to agonize.”-Confucius

“If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting.”-Ben Franklin

“A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it, has earned- this is the sum of good government.” –Thomas Jefferson

“It is immoral for one generation to pass on the results of its extravagance in the form of debts to the next generation.”-Thomas Jefferson

“If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them, they must be happy.” –Thomas Jefferson

“…I take that it is best for all to leave each man free to acquire property as fast as he can. Some will get wealthy. I don’t believe in a law to prevent man from getting rich: it would do more harm than good.”-Abraham Lincoln

“The Utopian schemes at leveling and a community of goods are as visionary an impractical as those which vest all property in the crown.” –Samuel Adams

-“To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his father has acquired too much, in order to spare others who (or whose fathers) have not exercised equal industry and skill is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, to guarantee to everyone a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.”-Thomas Jefferson

-“I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our Constitution. I would be willing to depend on that alone for the reduction of the administration of our government to the genuine principles of its constitution; I mean an article taking from the Federal Government the power of borrowing.”

-Accumulation of debt is perhaps the Natural disease of all governments. And it is not easy to conceiver anything more likely than this to lead to great and convulsive revolutions of Empire.”- Alexander Hamilton

Walker and the legislature made tough choices to balance the budget for the State of Wisconsin. Similar tough choices must be made in Washington. Our founders never envisioned the current high spending on entitlements and growth of government. They planned for little power for the federal government. The founders planned for charity to come from private individuals, not the government. As you can see by the quotes listed, their intention was for citizens to keep as much of their property as possible they never planned to re-distribute it.   To pay for all it’s spending the state and federal government has had to raise taxes. Less money in the private sector means less for job creation.

High deficits also erode our personal freedom.  The more we send to government the less we have to achieve the things we want in our lives. We sometimes have little choice on the way our government spends and sometimes wastes money. Tax freedom day now extends well into May. That means we are working almost 5 months to pay our government. That means less time with our families, less time getting an education or pursuing our happiness. It means more time working to pay for programs that we don’t approve of or don’t benefit us.

Walker made tough choices and he and many Republician lawmakers are facing recalls. Where will the political courcage come from to balance budgets if lawmakers are recalled for making tough decisions.

We can't have an strong economy that creates jobs if we continue to spend money in government to we don't have. Think about that if faced with the decision to voter Walker and his fellow Republicians out of office.

Using your strengths in you job search

Chris Wodke
http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

Angela Harris Director of Milwaukee Job Camp spoke at the February 19^th meeting of the Crossroads Career Network meeting on the topic of “Leveraging Your Strengths”. The talk was based on the book “Strengths Finder 2.0” by Tom Rath. Here is a summary of her remarks.

Rath in his book says we each have five strengths.  Our combination of skills makes each of us unique.  In fact in there are 33 million different combinations of the five strengths.

Harris says we should understand our strengths, how they make us unique and how these strengths can be used in our job search. When you understand your strengths, how to use them, and how you used them in the past, you can use this information to market yourself.

Definition

• Talents are enduring and unique.
• Talents + skills + knowledge = Strengths.
• This represents are greatest area for growth.
• Strengths are the strongest connection in our brain.
• Time goes by quickly when you are working in a strengths area.
• You can do something flawlessly when using strength.
• Using strength is effortless, is an innate skill.
• You feel you want to do the strength based task again and again.

Marcus Buckingham has written several books in using strengths. He says as you grow you become more of who you already are and you grow most in your areas of greatest strengths. Using your strengths is very important for personal success.

Importance

• Strengths allow you to do your best at work and in your personal life. Only 20 % of employees in a Gallup poll answered they do what they do best at work each day.
• What would it mean for organizations if most members did what they do best every day?
• Take the assessment and find out your top five strengths.

Job SearchLook at government sites such as the Department of Labor that have job descriptions.  Look in different industries to see where your strengths might be used.  Here are some other ideas:

• Look at job postings. Look for key words that match your strengths.
• Put your strengths or words similar to your strengths into Google and see what comes up.
• Look at job descriptions and look for duties that match things you are good at. You can get some ideas from positive feedback you have gotten at past performance reviews.
• Check sites like salary.com for positions that fit your strengths.

Resume

You have to understand your strengths. Read through the descriptions in strength finder 2.0. Here are some steps you can take to help you figure out how you use your strengths:

• Read out the top five.
• Find phrases that resonate.
• Get our a thesaurus
• Select key words and phases
• Use these key words and phrase in your resume.
• Look for patterns of how you have used your skills.
• Connect the skills with the results you have
  

Interview

When you understand your strengths and how you use them, you can begin to create CAR stories for interviews.  CAR stories are a challenge you had, an action you took and the result you got.  Talk about how your strength made the positive result happen.

• Using strengths feels good and creates excitement. This will translate into positive body language during the interview.
• Write down your CAR stories on index cards. Review them right before the interview

Using your strengths in all aspects of your job search can help you to understand the unique set of skills you bring to an employer.  Understanding your strengths can help you be more effective on the job and in your personal life.  If you don’t know your strengths get a copy of Tom Rath’s book.  Begin to explore this area.  Think about how you have used your strengths in the past and how you might develop and leverage them in the future.

Copyright 2012 Summit Training Publications

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

Let Summit Training Publications take care of your program design needs with our off the shelf training in a box or one of our presentation modules.

Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation